New Goodyear Hose Helps Clean National Treasures
WASHINGTON, Aug. 22, 2006 -- Steps to the Lincoln Memorial shine like a new penny, as pressure washer volunteers from across America clean them, using an innovative Goodyear SpiraFlow hose to assist water reclamation efforts designed to protect the nearby Potomac River.
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Already having tackled the Jefferson Memorial the previous day, members of the Power Washers of North America "Clean Across America" campaign are deploying environmentally-friendly cleaning methods that meet Clean Water Act requirements to remove a buildup of grit, grime and gum from the steps.
Goodyear Engineered Products donated more than 2,500 feet of its SpiraFlow hose with a unique, non-pooling hydra-channel cover. A spiral groove breaks the seal between the hose and memorial steps, allowing cleaning fluids and dirt to flow under the hose and drain toward the reclaim system, according to Keith Collett, marketing manager for Goodyear's industrial hose business.
Pennsylvania-based Barens, Inc., coupled the hose into 100-foot assemblies.
"Fluids can dam up behind a smooth conventional hose," said Collett. "I suspect everyone has experienced stepping in a hose-generated puddle at one time or another. For this project, SpiraFlow prevents uncontrolled pooling that could stream toward a critical waterway."
Henry Bockman, president of the PWNA Maryland chapter, said projects like this have a two-fold purpose. "We want to make a difference in the world around us and draw attention to proper pressure washing techniques and standards set by the PWNA," he said.
PWNA offers rigorous training and certification programs that promote proper techniques, education and understanding, instead of just the use of a high-pressure blast.
"What some consumers don't realize is that using high-pressure water to clean historic structures like this can cause considerable damage," said Bockman, "even though the memorials are made of stone! Just imagine how much damage can be caused to wood decks and aluminum siding, when using a high- pressure stream propelled by 3,000 psi of pressure."
The Lincoln-Jefferson Memorial project is being coordinated by a group of nearby pressure washer contractors with more than 15 on-site participants that traveled from seven states, including California.
A hi-resolution photo is available at http://www.goodyear.com/media/photos.html. Enter keyword: Lincoln.
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PRN Photo Desk, photodesk@prnewswire.com